Hockey fans can now find the latest from Panini – its 2009-10 hockey stickers – from their local hobby shop or from their favorite online retailer. Oh, and you can also find an album and some stickers to get you started — for free — in the newest issue of Beckett Hockey.

Panini’s stickers date back to the 1970s, and the set has had so many stars in it there is a rich legacy of collecting to be found. Now, New York Islanders rookie and Calder Trophy candidate John Tavares is getting his first “rookie” sticker and that’s exactly what it says.

We all know that rookie cards have tremendous value on the secondary market but stickers? I had to investigate that one.

There doesn’t seem to be a rookie market for the stickers, but some can fetch up to $15 or $20 on eBay. It seems that complete sets are what collectors are really looking for. The stickers are a fun, inexpensive way to expand one’s passion for collecting.

Here is a complete set breakdown:
Complete set — 364NHL Players (240) — top players for the seasonNHL Rookies (30) — top rookies for the 2009-10 seasonSuper Star (30) — These showcase each team’s top player2008-2009 In Review (18) — Key moments from last seasonNHL Team Logo Stickers (30) — One sticker per team for each team, each showing the retired numbers of the organizationNHL League Logos (10) — These stickers show all the league logosAward Winners (6) — Highlights winners from last season